Daphne Search and Rescue Celebrating 50 Years of Responding to Emergencies
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
September 6, 2025
DAPHNE, Ala. For fifty years, communities in and around Baldwin County have called upon a special group to respond to drownings, boat crashes, and emergencies on and off the water, and the Daphne Search and Rescue has responded.
According to the founder of the rescue group, it was a drowning at May Day Park that brought an idea to fruition, but it was the community that got behind them and took them to where they are today.
Ronny Champion has been a member of the rescue group since the early 90s. When he started, the organization only had a 21 Foot Carolina Skiff. Now, they use state-of-the-art sonar equipment, a new impact vessel, and state-of-the-art equipment.
The volunteer search and rescue group can be called out anytime, day or night, for a wide variety of emergencies, and they’re also prepared to respond. Each year, Daphne Search and Rescue responds to an average of 100 calls.
Some of the group members are certified divers, drone operators, vessel captains, and Emergency Medical Technicians.
The public is invited to stop by their headquarters behind Daphne City Hall on Belrose Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 2-5 p.m. for food and tours, and a chance to learn more about the unit making such an impact around the southeast.
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